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Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes Recipe

My summer has arrived, finally! And to celebrate this, let’s have some cake.

Lemon cake…
Lemon cupcakes…
Schools out for summer!

Now the summer holidays have started, I will no doubt be baking a lot more during the week, and trying new creations as well as being influenced by the season. Be expecting more fruit, more “lighter” bakes and a lot of taste! Also, if I bake more, my posts may just be a few words and a lot of photos. I like photos.
Anyway, these cupcakes are light, tender and packed of zesty lemon flavor. Uber easy to make, these simple cakes only really have 3 main steps; the cake batter, the frosting, and the assembly; a perfect project for kids in the holidays.

Moist yet fluffy, these cupcakes are so satisfying with their bright lemon flavor. What keeps the cakes so moist are the most important ingredients in the cakes! Buttermilk, yogurt, oil, and eggs give a rich moistness yet they keep the cakes light in texture.

Nerd alert!
The oil is so important is these cakes, but, if you want to be decadence, you could use melted butter. I used to make my cupcakes with soft butter and I used the “creaming” method. This entails beating the butter and sugar together until creamy in consistency.

This method would create a super cakey and light cake, however, they would become stale and crusty only on day 2. Now, I use oil and the “wet to dry” method. This means you add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix lightly. For me, this creates far more superior cakes and bakes and also, the bakes stay fresher for longer.

As you can probably see, these cupcakes aren’t topped with a mountain of frosting, more like a small mound. I have never been a fan of the huge amounts of frosting on cupcakes that you see nowadays. Sometimes, there is even more frosting than cake! I prefer cake + frosting rather than frosting + cake. Sorry to be a buzzkill!

Feel free to double or even triple the frosting recipe if you prefer a more “liberal” amount of frosting.
Speaking of frosting, this one is amazing. Flavored with tart lemon juice and lemon zest, this frosting will give you the full lemon hit. Please don’t be put off that there is flour in this recipe; I guarantee you won’t taste it. I found this recipe a few months back and it is truly amazing! Just try it!

If you make my Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes Recipe, be sure to take a photo and tag me @onlinefoodblog on Instagram or Twitter. I would love nothing more than to see your creations!

Instructions

Put the flour, milk, and zest into a saucepan and heat on medium heat until it turns into a thick-ish paste.

Sieve into a bowl and leave to cool at room temperature, covered with clingfilm.

Now, make the cupcakes. Sieve all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and stir until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the remaining ingredients until smooth.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just smooth but don’t over-mix.

Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop 3/4 of a scoop into the cases.

Bake for 20-22 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before taking out of the tin and placing on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, beat the butter, sugar, and juice together until light and fluffy, this should take 3 minutes.

Add the cooled paste and beat for another minute until smooth and silky.

Frost the cupcakes either using a piping bag or a knife.

Decorate with extra zest or sprinkles

Notes

The cupcakes should be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before eating. Try out our Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes recipe and post your results below in the comments…

Hi – I’m Brett Stevens! I am Britt and living in London. Food, Family, and friends are my 3 favorite things in life. (not in that order) . Food blogging has always been a something I wanted to try and the Onlinefoodblog gave me this wonderful opportunity to develop my own recipes and upload them to this blog. Message me if you enjoy my recipes or have anything to say!

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About Me

Hi, I'm Lee-Ann. Thanks for visiting my food blog. I am a foodie, traveler and a cat lover. (not necessarily in that that order). After reading food blog after food blog, after food blog - I thought - You know what I need it a food blog of my own. Why not - I can cook and I can bake. Learn More